Matthew Hj Cordes
- Associate Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry-Sci
- Associate Professor, BIO5 Institute
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
Contact
- (520) 626-1175
- Biological Sciences West, Rm. 439
- Tucson, AZ 85721
- cordes@arizona.edu
Degrees
- Postdoctoral Structural Biology
- MIT
- Ph.D. Organic Chemistry
- Yale University
- The Interconversion of Stereoisomeric Cyclopropanones Through Ring-Opening to Oxyallyls: A Case Study of Spiro(bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,1'-cyclopropane)-2'-one
- M.S. Organic Chemistry
- Yale University
- B.A. Chemistry and Romance Languages
- Bowdoin College
Work Experience
- University of Arizona (2007 - Ongoing)
- University of Arizona (2001 - 2007)
Awards
- Merck/MIT Fellow
- Merck/MIT, Fall 1998
- Helen Hay Whitney Fellowship
- Helen Hay Whitney Foundation, Fall 1995
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- National Science Foundation, Fall 1988
- Kent Fellowship
- Yale University, Fall 1987
- Sterling Prize Fellowship
- Yale University, Fall 1987
Interests
Teaching
biochemistry; structural biology
Research
protein evolution; protein structure; protein folding; protein toxins; NMR spectroscopy
Courses
2025-26 Courses
-
Nucleic Acids, Metab & Signal
BIOC 568 (Spring 2026) -
Biochemistry
BIOC 462A (Fall 2025) -
Honors Directed Research
BIOC 392H (Fall 2025) -
Honors Preceptorship
BIOC 491H (Fall 2025) -
Honors Thesis
BIOC 498H (Fall 2025) -
Preceptorship
BIOC 491 (Fall 2025)
2024-25 Courses
-
Honors Directed Research
BIOC 392H (Spring 2025) -
Nucleic Acids, Metab & Signal
BIOC 568 (Spring 2025) -
Senior Capstone
BIOC 498 (Spring 2025) -
Biochemistry
BIOC 462A (Fall 2024) -
Honors Directed Research
BIOC 392H (Fall 2024) -
Introduction to Research
BIOC 792 (Fall 2024) -
Preceptorship
BIOC 491 (Fall 2024) -
Senior Capstone
BIOC 498 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
-
Directed Research
BIOC 492 (Spring 2024) -
Honors Directed Research
BIOC 392H (Spring 2024) -
Nucleic Acids, Metab & Signal
BIOC 568 (Spring 2024) -
Biochemistry
BIOC 462A (Fall 2023) -
Preceptorship
BIOC 491 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
-
Honors Thesis
BIOC 498H (Spring 2023) -
Nucleic Acids, Metab & Signal
BIOC 568 (Spring 2023) -
Thesis
MCB 910 (Spring 2023) -
Biochemistry
BIOC 462A (Fall 2022) -
Honors Thesis
BIOC 498H (Fall 2022) -
Journal Club
BIOC 595B (Fall 2022) -
Research
MCB 900 (Fall 2022) -
Thesis
MCB 910 (Fall 2022)
2021-22 Courses
-
Honors Directed Research
BIOC 492H (Spring 2022) -
Honors Thesis
MCB 498H (Spring 2022) -
Journal Club
BIOC 595B (Spring 2022) -
Senior Capstone
BIOC 498 (Spring 2022) -
Biochemistry
BIOC 462A (Fall 2021) -
Honors Directed Research
BIOC 492H (Fall 2021) -
Honors Preceptorship
BIOC 491H (Fall 2021) -
Honors Thesis
MCB 498H (Fall 2021) -
Senior Capstone
BIOC 498 (Fall 2021)
2020-21 Courses
-
Directed Research
BIOC 392 (Spring 2021) -
Directed Research
BIOC 492 (Spring 2021) -
Honors Directed Research
BIOC 392H (Spring 2021) -
Biochemistry
BIOC 462A (Fall 2020) -
Directed Research
BIOC 392 (Fall 2020) -
Directed Research
BIOC 492 (Fall 2020) -
Dissertation
BIOC 920 (Fall 2020) -
Honors Directed Research
BIOC 392H (Fall 2020) -
Honors Preceptorship
BIOC 491H (Fall 2020) -
Preceptorship
BIOC 491 (Fall 2020)
2019-20 Courses
-
Introduction to Research
BIOC 795A (Spring 2020) -
Senior Capstone
BIOC 498 (Spring 2020) -
Biochemistry
BIOC 462A (Fall 2019) -
Preceptorship
BIOC 491 (Fall 2019) -
Senior Capstone
BIOC 498 (Fall 2019)
2018-19 Courses
-
Biochemistry
BIOC 462A (Fall 2018) -
Honors Preceptorship
BIOC 491H (Fall 2018) -
Preceptorship
BIOC 491 (Fall 2018) -
Scientific Writing
BIOC 395B (Fall 2018)
2017-18 Courses
-
Biological Structure 2
BIOC 585B (Spring 2018) -
Introduction to Research
BIOC 795A (Spring 2018) -
Biochemistry
BIOC 462A (Fall 2017) -
Honors Preceptorship
BIOC 491H (Fall 2017)
2016-17 Courses
-
Honors Thesis
ECOL 498H (Fall 2016)
2015-16 Courses
-
Biological Structure I
BIOC 585 (Spring 2016) -
Directed Research
BIOC 492 (Spring 2016) -
Senior Capstone
BIOC 498 (Spring 2016)
Scholarly Contributions
Journals/Publications
- More infoPhospholipase D (PLD) toxins from sicariid spiders, which cause disease in mammals, were recently found to convert their primary substrates, sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidylcholine, to cyclic phospholipids. Here we show that two PLD toxins from pathogenic actinobacteria and ascomycete fungi, which share distant homology with the spider toxins, also generate cyclic phospholipids. This shared function supports divergent evolution of the PLD toxins from a common ancestor and suggests the importance of cyclic phospholipids in pathogenicity.
